The status of gays in the US armed forces has been thrown into confusion by a
judge’s landmark decision that the Pentagon’s “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy
is unconstitutional and harms the military’s effectiveness.

Judge Virginia Phillips of the US district court for central California
published a ruling yesterday that the military’s current policy violates
rights to due process and freedom of expression. She promised an injunction
that could force the Pentagon to stop discharging soldiers for openly gay
behaviour.

“Don’t ask, don’t tell” (DADT) was introduced by President Clinton in 1993 as
a way of keeping a campaign promise